On September 30th, the German Federal Cartel Office announced that it has listed Microsoft as a company of "significant importance to market competition". The agency stated that the new classification means that Microsoft will be subject to stricter supervision and may face bans due to anti competitive behavior.
The German Federal Cartel Office stated that its new powers apply to Microsoft as a whole, not just to its individual services or products.
A Microsoft spokesperson stated, "We recognize our responsibility to support a healthy competitive environment, and we will strive to adopt a proactive, collaborative, and responsible attitude in our cooperation with the German Federal Cartel Office